Endorsements
Praise for Starting from Scratch
“In Starting from Scratch, Kate Lloyd creates a delightful cast of characters with flaws to which we can all relate. This is a story rich with details from the Lancaster County Amish countryside. You’ll want to keep turning the pages through the twists and turns to discover if Eva makes the right choices in love and faith.”
Kelly Irvin, author of the Amish of Bee County series
“From the whirlwind beginning to the delightfully unexpected ending, Starting from Scratch is an adventurous tale of life as you rarely see it.”
Naomi Miller, author of the Amish Sweet Shop Mystery series
“Love, forgiveness, and a reminder of the devastating power of words—Starting from Scratch will tug at your heartstrings, tickle your funny bone, and leave you breathless for more.”
Amy Lillard, author of the Wells Landing Series
“You will enjoy every minute you spend with Starting from Scratch, and you will come away at the end with new life in your heart. That’s simply the way it is with Kate Lloyd’s novels. They’re hours and days of reading wonder.”
Murray Pura, author of An Amish Family Christmas
What Others Are Saying About A Letter from Lancaster County
“A Letter from Lancaster County is a touching story that explores the way relationships intertwine and the varying ways people interpret the same truths. This book drew me in from the beginning, kept me guessing, and touched my heart—everything I want in a book. Highly recommended.”
Beth Wiseman, bestselling author of the Daughters of the Promise series
“Two sisters, one man, and a Mennonite farm are at the heart of Kate Lloyd’s new novel about family ties. When Angela and Rose, sisters who are opposite in every way, return to their mother’s childhood home, they come to grips with issues long neglected…and emerge from the visit transformed. Lloyd’s fine storytelling in A Letter from Lancaster County will captivate and delight fans.”
Suzanne Woods Fisher, bestselling author of The Quieting
“Kate Lloyd’s A Letter from Lancaster County is a wonderful read. I was wrapped up in Angela and Rose’s story from the first page and couldn’t read it fast enough. Kate has a way of writing that feels fresh and new. It was descriptive, meaningful, at times humorous, and always gripping. Anyone who picks up a novel by Kate Lloyd is in for a treat.”
Shelley Shephard Gray, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author
“From the first page, I was drawn into this lovely story and felt as if I were walking with the characters through the plain and simple community in Lancaster County. This book will touch your heart.”
Vannetta Chapman, author of Anna’s Healing
“Fans of Kate Lloyd will adore this new women’s fiction set in Amish country. Dynamic protagonists and an increasingly tense narrative set the scene for a heart-wrenching and engaging story.”
Laura V. Hilton, author of The Amish Wanderer
“Kate Lloyd’s newest novel offers an insightful look into the lives and loves of two very different sisters. While dealing sensitively with the very real issues of temptation, brokenness, and unforgiveness, Lloyd manages to avoid pat answers while still offering the hope of redemption. A Letter from Lancaster County is a thoroughly engaging read.”
Ann Tatlock, award-winning author of Once Beyond a Time
“In A Letter from Lancaster County, Kate Lloyd tells a thoughtful and compelling story of two sisters and their life-changing journey. Kate’s sense of setting (lovely!) and her depiction of realistic characters quickly draws readers into the drama. As the story unfolds, themes of reconciliation and redemption are explored in a heartfelt and gracious manner.”
Leslie Gould, bestselling and Christy Award–winning author
“Beautifully written, A Letter From Lancaster County is a truly mesmerizing tale.”
Patrick Craig, author of the Apple Creek Dreams series
Books by Kate Lloyd
LANCASTER DISCOVERIES
A Letter from Lancaster County
Starting from Scratch
HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS
EUGENE, OREGON
All Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
Cover by Garborg Design Works
Cover images © Phonlamaiphoto, Milkos, Yastremska / Bigstock
The author is represented by MacGregor Literary, Inc.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
STARTING FROM SCRATCH
Copyright © 2018 by Kate Lloyd
Published by Harvest House Publishers
Eugene, Oregon 97408
www.harvesthousepublishers.com
ISBN 978-0-7369-7023-5 (pbk.)
ISBN 978-0-7369-7024-2 (eBook)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Date
Names: Lloyd, Kate (Novelist)
Title: Starting from scratch / Kate Lloyd.
Description: Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, [2018]
Identifiers: LCCN 2017035965 (print) | LCCN 2017040450 (ebook) | ISBN 9780736970242 (ebook) | ISBN 9780736970235 (paperback)
Subjects: LCSH: Amish—Fiction. | Lancaster County (Pa.)—Fiction. | BISAC: FICTION / Christian / Romance. | GSAFD: Christian fiction.
Classification: LCC PS3612.L58 (ebook) | LCC PS3612.L58 S73 2018 (print) | DDC 813/.6—dc23
LC recond available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017035965
All rights reserved. No part of this electronic publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any other—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The authorized purchaser has been granted a nontransferable, nonexclusive, and noncommercial right to access and view this electronic publication, and purchaser agrees to do so only in accordance with the terms of use under which it was purchased or transmitted. Participation in or encouragement of piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of author’s and publisher’s rights is strictly prohibited.
Dedication
To my cousin
Alex McBrien
Contents
Endorsements
Books by Kate Lloyd
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
Chapter Forty-Eight
Chapter Forty-Nine
Chapter Fifty
Epilogue
Discussion Questions
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Ready to Discover More?
About the Publisher
ONE
Mamm peered out my bedroom window as buggy wheels crunched to a halt in the barnyard.
“Ach, Evie.” She spoke over her shoulder. “Reuben and Marta are here. Two days early.”
I wasn’t packed yet, but I plastered on a
